The Catholic Religious Archives (CRA) is a repository dedicated to preserving and providing access to the records of men’s and women’s Catholic religious congregations around the world.
It is a cost-free service that provides archival support to congregations whether they are in active ministry or approaching completion.
CRA welcomes new partners, below is a brief overview of the process:
Contact Us – Please contact us to learn more about CRA. We would welcome the opportunity to provide an overview of our services and answer questions:
Thomas P. Lester
Director, Catholic Religious Archives
thomas.lester.3@bc.edu or 617-552-6538
Deposit/Gift Agreement – If you would like to partner with CRA, we will ask for a signed deposit or gift agreement; both are accepted.
Preparation of Records – Records are accepted ‘as is,’ however, our team is also available to conduct a collections assessment and offer guidance on preparing materials for transfer.
Arrival at CRA – Upon arrival, all collections are inspected, placed in our secure and environmentally controlled facility, and a temporary inventory created.
Ongoing Care and Access – Every collection will be processed in full, respecting the original organization, and added to our searchable catalog. We will provide ongoing access to congregations and supervised access to researchers in our reading room.